Joy List Special: Ultimate All Day Playlist

Over 28 Hours of Music, Coffee to Cocktails, Sinatra to Salt-N-Pepa

Our All Day Playlist is the soundtrack of our days. It features over 28 hours of feel-good music that fills every moment, from morning coffee to evening calm. In The Joy List, we share little favorites — foods, tools, and moments that bring us joy. For our first post, it felt like the perfect time for a special edition: the soundtrack of our lives.

Music has carried us through cooking marathons and quiet mornings. It has even helped on hard days when we needed something to lift us up. Over time, our everyday playlist grew into a over 28-hour collection. It rolls from Sinatra to Salt-N-Pepa, from Lady Gaga to Mozart, and everything in between.

And it carried us through my recovery, too — a season when we turned down the noise, pressed pause on the outside world, and let music do what it does best: lift our spirits, soften the hard days, and remind us that even in the middle of healing, there’s still beauty to be found.

This is the one we press play on in the morning and let run all the way until bedtime. It’s a mix of comfort, fun, and pure joy — just like the Joy List itself.

👉 Click here for the full playlist on Apple Music

You’ll need an Apple Music account to download or play the list — but once you hit shuffle, it becomes your soundtrack too.

How It All Started

It started the way many good things do: with Christmas.

Back in 2022, I wanted Kristy to feel that extra sparkle during the holidays and I was well into my recovery, so I put together what was basically my version of an old-school mixtape. Think Sinatra crooning by the fire, Mariah Carey reminding us (for the 87th time, because Kristy can and does play only this one song on repeat for an entire day) what she wants for Christmas, and a few of our personal favorites tucked in between the classics. Kristy is all about the timeless Christmas songs, and honestly…same.

After struggling making mix tapes through high school, I finally ponied up and bought this Dual Cassette Deck, Game Changer! Still have it today, but don’t have any cassettes. 

But playlists are like snowballs. Once you get rolling, they grow.

That holiday list inspired a post-holiday ‘Dinner Music’ list. It features smooth crooners and candlelight vibes. This then expanded into a collection of songs I like to call ‘perfect.’ And perfect is purely subjective. My definition ranges from Let It Be (Beatles soul balm that always feels like a prayer) to Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi, forever in my hard-rock heart).

When the Playlist Found Its Groove

Somewhere along the way, yacht rock drifted in. Michael McDonald became the captain (as he should), Lionel Richie came aboard, and somehow even Velvet Revolver found its place on the list. To my surprise (and delight), Kristy loves the ballads with a bit of grit just as much as the soft-sailing stuff.

Our playlist has loose rules, but they’re simple:

The song must make us feel something — joy, nostalgia, goosebumps, or a kitchen dance party.

No genre limits. Crooners, rockers, ballads, divas, even Mozart (yes, Symphony No. 36 in C Major by the Silesian Philharmonic with Pawel Przytocki conducting Amadeus made the cut). We chose it because it brings the heart and brain into coherence — simply put, that’s when your body aligns, your emotions settle, and your whole system hums in harmony. We tested so many pieces, and this was the one that made us both feel grounded, centered, and peaceful every time.

Finally, bonus points if it makes Kristy lip-synch and dance across the kitchen.

🎤 The Heavy Hitters on Our List

• Frank Sinatra (with his duets) — 12 songs, because Ol’ Blue Eyes still sets the mood like no one else.
• Michael Bublé — 10 songs, because he’s kinda Sinatra with Spotify royalties.
• Lady Gaga (solo, with Tony Bennett, and with Bradley Cooper) — 8 songs, because whether she’s belting an anthem, crooning jazz standards, or hitting those unforgettable Shallow notes, she always brings the drama, the beauty, and the joy.
• Seal — 7 songs, because Kiss from a Rose still gives us goosebumps and his voice feels like velvet on velvet.
• Sade — 6 songs, smooth as silk, always turning an ordinary dinner into a slow-motion movie scene.
• Steely Dan — 6 songs, clever lyrics and grooves we never get tired of. Plus an additional two from Donald Fagen’s solo tracks.

The Wild Cards

And then there are the surprises. Like the day Kristy rediscovered the top 90’s hit Whatta Man. She looked at me and said, “We’re adding that.” Just like that, Salt-N-Pepa + En Vogue became part of our official cooking and life soundtrack.

Some songs sneak in because of their message:
• Change the World (Eric Clapton) — a reminder that even small shifts in love ripple big.
• Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey) — because it’s impossible not to belt it out with full conviction.
• Imagine (John Lennon) — one of those songs that still makes us pause and dream out loud.
• Stronger (Kelly Clarkson) — Kristy’s lip-synch anthem when she needs a little spark.
• Invisible String (Taylor Swift) — a nod to our very first Gratitude post and proof that fate sometimes wears a guitar.

• And so many more.

The Song That Says It All

But our shared favorite? Sister Hazel’s “Change Your Mind.”

In 2000, it didn’t crack the Top 40 (peaked at #59), but for us, it’s everything. The lyrics are simple and true:
If you want to be somebody else, change your mind.

That’s the heartbeat of this playlist — the way music reminds us we can shift, soften, or dance our way into a better day.

Some mornings it’s the soft piano of Let It Be that feels like a hug before the coffee kicks in. Other afternoons, it’s Kristy twirling through the kitchen to Stronger or belting Don’t Stop Believin’ with zero shame and maximum joy. And when the day winds down, Sinatra or Sade has a way of dimming the lights for us, even if the lights are still on.

The Music That Moves Us

So many songs also take us back to a cherished time in our past — a great memory, a moment we want to hold onto forever.

And here’s the best part: by filling our day with music and leaving out the noise of news and constant “updates,” we take away so much stress. Especially when we’re cooking together, stirring a pot, chopping veggies, or plating a meal we love.

Over 28 hours long, this playlist is big enough that you won’t hear the same song twice in a day — unless, of course, you want to hit repeat (and trust us, many deserve it). So enjoy, make it your own, and let the music carry you through.

👉 Our All-Day Playlist on Apple Music  Download then hit shuffle to make sure the songs are random and see if they “fit” during your day.  We always shuffle as Scott doesn’t want it in order by artist or song title.  Don’t like a song, delete it from your list.  Is there one of your favorites missing, add it.  The list you download and modify becomes YOUR list.  It should bring you joy!

Until Next Time

Next week we’ll be back with another Joy List — recipes we’re loving, kitchen tools we can’t stop using, and tiny joys that make life sweeter. We’ll be sharing other music lists as well. The holidays are approaching!

But for this first one? Let the music play. 🎶💛

If you love playlists, check out our Gratitude List for more joy-filled inspiration.

✨ Radiate love. Practice gratitude. Seek joy.